A puppy was the inspiration behind a new career and business

Katrina Ledwell has found success doing what she loves, training dogs and teaching their owners about responsible dog ownership. After more than year in business as Oakley's Adventures 101, LLC, she continues to see growth, both in herself and her business − and it all started with a fox.

Ledwell experienced something pet owners dread, the passing of her beloved animal. After losing her pet fox, Snow, she and her husband Kevin were set on not getting another pet. Months later when her husband suggested they go to just look at some puppies a friend had, she reluctantly agreed, thinking "You can't go look at a puppy and not get it," Ledwell said.

At the friend's house, Ledwell saw her. A black and white 10-week-old puppy. The dog's mother was a Husky and the father was a Labrador/German Sheperd mix. It was love at first sight. Her named was Oakley and she became part of the family.

Standing at only 4'11", Ledwell knew she couldn't have a dog that would jump on her or other people. Not having a background in dog training but knowing the level of obedience she desired, Ledwell took to TikTok, YouTube, and online trainers. She started taking the information in, digesting each hand gesture, contact point, and tone of voice.

Eventually, Ledwell reached out to trainer Dylan Beckleman, who was offering a free Zoom meeting to anyone who wanted to talk about anything dog related. After chatting with Beckleman, a certified dog behaviorist, she took his advice and started working with Oakley, and posting videos on Facebook.

At the suggestion of friends who saw her videos, she decided to take the leap and started offering training. Once the private training sessions started to take off for Ledwell, she made the decision to drop down to part time at her job with Guernsey Residential, a job that according to Ledwell, was her saving grace. Ten months later, she jumped in fully to Oakley's Adventures and hasn't looked back. She's currently being booked out until April.

Working out of her garage and putting up fencing themselves, Ledwell and her husband decided to offer boarding as well. Today they are capable of boarding up to 15 dogs at a time and offer various lengths of stay. Boarding costs start at $30 per day, and owners must bring their own food and an up-to-date shot record that includes the Bordetella vaccine for kennel cough.

Ledwell also offers board and train programs. In these programs, people board their dog with Oakley's Adventures for two weeks or longer, and Ledwell works with the dog to teach basic obedience. At the end of the program, the owner has a session with Ledwell to go over everything that was taught and how to implement the training at home. A two-week board and train program costs $900. Private and group training sessions are also available.

Ledwell has no breed restrictions, but does require a phone consultation prior to private sessions.

"A lot of people will say their dog is aggressive, but I need to know what your definition of aggression is," Ledwell said. Oftentimes people may confuse dog reactivity with aggression. "If a dog is aggressive, I will just say it's not for me. I'm not afraid, as a trainer, to say you need someone else, someone with behavior modification training," she added. The phone consultations give her a better understanding of both the dogs' behavior and the owner's needs.

While the group training is beneficial for socializing and teaching dogs how to react around other canines, her policy for the dogs she boards is drastically different.

Dogs will not interact with other boarded dogs. "Your dog does not have to meet every single dog that's out there. We don't walk into Walmart and walk up to every single person in Walmart. Your dog should get along with your pack and your family. There's a lot of controversy in the dog training world about this. You can have the most aggressive dog, but if your obedience (training) is spot on, your dog will listen to that command over the aggression."

Ledwell has recently become certified as an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator. There are 10 situations that a dog has to pass in order to be named a Good Citizen. Accepting a friendly stranger, remaining calm when being groomed and evaluated, and not having a big reaction are just two of the situations. She has plans to continue her education with temperament testing, a way for her to better understand the body language and signs that dogs exhibit.

Plans for the future include opening more Oakley's Adventures 101 locations, but nothing has been finalized. Currently, Ledwell travels throughout southeastern Ohio to do training.

"Call me and I will come. I've got clients in Akron, boarding customers that come from Logan, people coming from Woodsfield, Belmont, and Zanesville," Ledwell said. Upcoming group sessions include one on Feb. 18 in West Lafayette and possibly one in Cambridge on Feb. 25.

While starting a small business can be intimidating, Ledwell confidently said, "I have been through a ton of crap, and it's like 'Nobody is taking anything from me ever again. I built this. This is the gift that God gave me."

For more information, call Ledwell at 740-610-6249 or visit their Facebook page.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: A puppy was the inspiration behind a new career and business